Expert: Dear Tabbi - 11/10/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have two six year old sister kitties.  I moved into my home 5 months ago and all has been fine until 2 weeks ago.  They always slept with me and used my room a their hang out to watch birds and nap.  They spent lots of time under the bed too.  Suddenly they wouldn't sleep with me and won't even come in my room at all.  They are also timid in the hallway outside the room and stare constantly at the floor.  House has not basement, just crawl space and seems to be bug free.  They stare at floor and then run to the only place they stay now... in the middle of my dining room table... the farthest away from my room and hall that they can get.  They eat inside kitchen door next to dining room and use their pan in the laundry room but run like crazy back to the dining room table.  They prefer not to walk on floor at all if they can jump from furniture to counter but upon hitting the floor they run to one of maybe 3 safe spots they have found.  This is driving me crazy.  I do not want my cats living on my dining room table and I miss their company too.  They stare at floor as if they are seeing something that I can not.  Any suggestions to get them back to their sweet lovable former selves?
They are not happy and neither am I.

ANSWER: Sara,

My suggestion would be to bomb your house for fleas. That is typical behavior when there are fleas in the home. My cats will do that too during flea season. They do not want to get on the floor so they jump from counter to furniture. When one does it, the other will follow!
Sometimes, no matter how careful you can be with fleas and cats they can come in from the lawn outside and can multiply quickly, and you may not even see them. I would try that first.

Tabbi



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: You were so right!  That is exactly what it was.  I ruled out that possiblity earlier because my cats never go outside.  But I do, and I planted some spring bulbs and seems as it not long after this all started.  I bombed, and took them to the vet for the night to be dipped and treated.  Costing my lots but they will be protected and I hope they will settle down when they get home.  Thanks for your help.  S. King

Answer
Sara,

Good! That should help. You may want to bomb again, or spray, because if there are eggs you may need to do it again if/when they hatch, unless the flea bomb states "kills flea eggs".

Cats get on tables, etc. because fleas cannot not jump that high. You may have to be firm about shooing the cats off the table because if they decide they like it up there anyway, they will keep doing it.

Tabbi